Rob Wittman

Proposals for a Water Resources Development Act of 2022: Members' Day Hearing

Beginning about 6 years ago, for some reason, somebody thought, well, let's just stop funding hypersonic research because we really don't need to do that.

In fact, I have NASA [National Aeronautics and Space Administration] Langley right on the edge of the district, and for years they did great hypersonic research there.

I think your observation that we have to be resilient and we have to use both kinetic and non-kinetic means to be able to deter are incredibly important across the spectrum.

I think that's incredibly important, especially as we see this increasing aggressive behavior, obviously with Russia's attack but also with China.

China is indeed the pacing threat, that they look towards an action by China within this decade, within the next 6 years.

It follows then as certain as the night succeeds the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable and glorious.

I categorically reject this notion. I ascribe to the warnings of our PACOM commanders who believe that conflict will likely occur in the near term.

A change in our National Security Strategy is sorely needed, one that prioritizes warfighting in the near term.

Great power competition is already here, and we are currently not set up to prevail.

I believe this is common sense language that will ultimately produce a better report for action by a range of actors in the region.

The Port of Virginia is a national gateway for commerce, supporting businesses across the country.

I would also like to take this time to highlight some WRDA priorities the subcommittee should look at in deliberating this bill.

Cargo moving through the Port supports more than 530,000 jobs statewide and generates in excess of $90 billion in annual economic impact for Virginia.

I hope this committee and the House upholds its duty to authorize nationally important water infrastructure improvements that are more locally driven.

I want to thank the chairwoman and ranking member and members of the committee for the opportunity to testify before you today.

The intent of this language is narrowly focused on the CSRM study on the peninsula.

The Water Resources Development Act is necessary legislation that provides for improvements to the Nation's ports, inland waterways, flood protection, ecosystem restoration, and other water resources infrastructure and policy.

When you remove that term, 'to the extent practicable,' then you allow no flexibility, you allow no consideration for gear changes for what happens in the real world.

It just seems like, to me, that it is an inconsistency or a contradiction...

Well, you agreed with what the President said. Clearly, it says this is what you value.

So, do you empower them, then, by taking resources away?

So, what you are doing is prioritizing, taking away resources so that localities that have intimate knowledge about habitat preservation, about impacts on species--what you are saying is, our priorities, we don't give a hoot about them…

In Great Powers Competition, strategy and budgeting go hand-in-hand. Would you support briefing the congressional defense committees on the annual Global Force Management Allocation Plan (GFMAP)?

The debate has always been should it be built to a military standard, should it be built to a commercial ship standard?